What are the effects of a gap year?

One of the biggest questions considered by students and parents when discussing the decision of a gap year: “is it worth it?” This same question will be scrutinized by those looking at amending the Higher Education Act to include funding for gap years. Of course this is a very reasonable concern as many people see a gap year as a vacation and not as a learning and development experience. “They need a specific goal” not just a vacation because it is no use to just “ramble.” (Lindsey) However, when organized properly with strong goals, the use of a gap year is effective at improving and developing both the abilities of the “gapper” as a student and their life after college.

The first and foremost question to ask is, will the student even return to college? When a student finally leaves high school, it would be expected that if they do not immediately attend college, they will end up losing focus and fail to reach college (Olivier). This is in fact a common problem, as some departments have whole files on students who simply did not return (Lindsey). However, the answer to this vital question is almost always yes, they will return. A study by Karl Haigler showed that about 90% of students who decide to take a gap year return within a single year. This shows that there is little fear of the pupils not returning to their education. Moreover, many students experience a burnout effect from the pressure and hard work of high school that is often amplified when they reach college (Gap Year Data & Lindsey). Taking a gap year is the way they relieve that pressure because, while the gapper may take on a job or internship, part of the year is meant for travel and immersion into other cultures.  After this break, they are able to pursue their college aspirations with renewed energy and a more mature mindset.

However, all this proves is that the student will simply still attend college, not that the year was necessarily beneficial to their performance during their college careers. The next factor to address is the effectiveness of the year on the students to see that it is truly beneficial. In the same study, it was shown that the majority of students not only found, or sometimes changed a career path but also had improved academic work on their return to college. This is especially true in the case of Santiago, a student at Tyler Junior College. After taking his gap year is Spain, he found that his true passion was helping people with physical therapy. This completely changed his direction from one of business to one of medical aid. He was able to return to college to work harder and happier in the new path he had chosen (Olivier). These results are shown in a couple of different ways; a more serious attitude toward studies, higher GPA’s than what would have been predicted, greater independence in their personal lives, and stronger employability in the work force (Gap Year Data). This is compared to the scores and abilities of many of their counterparts, who did not take a gap year. These two statistical facts exemplify the ways in which a gap year has strong positive effects.

These advantageous effects carry over through college to the students’ lives afterward as well, which brings many social returns to society. One of the strongest social returns in the cultural knowledge gained. Having a strong understanding of different cultures and how to accept, and work through, differences is a vital tool in today’s increasingly global world. Students have reported the ability to communicate even without a common language which improved their overall ability to interact with others (Gap Year Data). Students like Samantha Krieg learned from the difficulty of not understanding those around her and states that she learned more from the one experience than others thus far in her life. Furthermore, the travel to other places prepared Krieg for changes in life and made her more adept at handling new situations. While others were “talking about how nervous and uncomfortable they felt,” Samantha was comfortable and able to function immediately in a college atmosphere (Baker). These are the common effects of embarking on the journey of a gap year that many students decide to take. If more were to participate in such a voyage, they too would reap these benefits and increase the intellectual wealth of the nation.

Between the academic and social aspects of a gap year, students learn many new skills that can only be gained from real world experience. This experience makes the undergraduates more proficient at learning and performing in both their college life and later on when they return to the “real world.” The gains of the year show that it is a very effective use of time for many students and should be supported.